N2 Vocabulary · Test 56

The underlined word is 笑う, meaning 'to laugh.' In the sentence, 笑う声がする means 'a laughing voice/sound is heard.' The correct reading of 笑う is わらう, which is option 4.

• 1さそう is the reading of 誘う ('to invite/seduce'). It is a plausible-looking distractor but has nothing to do with 笑う.
• 2ならう is the reading of 習う ('to learn'). Unrelated to the kanji 笑う.
• 3ねがう is the reading of 願う ('to wish/pray'). Also unrelated to 笑う.

• 笑わらう — to laugh
• 客きゃく — guest, customer
• 声こえ — voice, sound

豊かな is read ゆたかな, meaning 'rich' or 'abundant.' In the sentence, 島の豊かな秋が終わると、寒い冬が来る ('When the island's rich/abundant autumn ends, a cold winter comes'), it describes autumn as full and bountiful, so option 4 ゆたかな is correct.

• 1しずかな corresponds to 静かな, meaning 'quiet/calm.' It does not match the kanji 豊かな, and 'quiet autumn' is not the meaning being tested.
• 2たしかな corresponds to 確かな, meaning 'certain/sure/reliable.' The kanji do not match 豊かな, and it would not naturally describe a season in this context.
• 3にわかな corresponds to 俄かな, meaning 'sudden/unexpected.' The kanji do not match 豊かな, and 'sudden autumn' does not fit the sentence's nuance.

• 豊ゆたかな — rich, abundant, bountiful
• 静しずかな — quiet, calm
• 確たしかな — certain, sure, reliable
• 俄にわかな — sudden, unexpected

The correct reading of 共感 is きょうかん. In the sentence, 共感をよんでいる means 'is arousing sympathy/empathy.' The word 共感 is made of 共 (きょう, 'together/shared') + 感 (かん, 'feeling'), so the reading is きょうかん.

• 2きょかん is an incorrect reading. There is no common word read きょかん that fits here; it likely targets learners who misread the long vowel きょう as きょ.
• 3こうかん is the reading of words such as 交感 (こうかん, 'sympathetic (nervous system)') or 交換 (こうかん, 'exchange'). It is a plausible distractor but not the reading of 共感.
• 4こかん is an incorrect reading, likely targeting learners who drop the long vowel entirely. No relevant word is read こかん in this context.

• 共感きょうかん — sympathy, empathy, resonance (with someone's feelings)
• 国境こっきょう — national border
• 物語ものがたり — story, tale
• 呼ぶ（よんでいる）（よぶ） — to call; to arouse/evoke (interest, sympathy, etc.)

The correct reading of 述べられる is のべられる. 述べる (のべる) means 'to state, express, or put into words,' and its potential form 述べられる means 'can express/state.' The sentence 自分の考えがはっきり述べられる人を雇いたい means 'I want to hire a person who can clearly express their own ideas,' so のべられる fits perfectly.

• 1くらべられる is the potential form of 比べる (くらべる), meaning 'can compare.' Comparing one's ideas does not fit the context of clearly expressing them.
• 2しらべられる is the potential form of 調べる (しらべる), meaning 'can investigate/examine.' Investigating one's ideas does not make sense in this context.
• 3ならべられる is the potential form of 並べる (ならべる), meaning 'can line up/arrange.' While one can 'arrange' thoughts metaphorically, the kanji 述べる specifically refers to stating/expressing, not arranging.

• 述のべる — to state, to express, to put into words
• 比くらべる — to compare
• 調しらべる — to investigate, to examine
• 並ならべる — to line up, to arrange
• 雇やとう — to hire, to employ

The correct option is 4. The tested word is 雇いたい, read やといたい. The verb 雇う（やとう）means 'to hire/employ'. In the sentence, the speaker wants to hire someone who can clearly express their own ideas, so 'want to hire' = 雇いたい（やといたい） fits perfectly.

• 1うかがいたい corresponds to 伺いたい, from 伺う（うかがう）'to humbly ask/visit'. It does not match the kanji 雇, and 'want to ask/visit' does not fit the context of hiring a person.
• 2うやまいたい corresponds to 敬いたい, from 敬う（うやまう）'to respect'. The kanji and meaning do not match 雇う.
• 3もちいたい corresponds to 用いたい, from 用いる（もちいる）'to use/employ (in a broad sense)'. While 用いる can mean 'to employ', its kanji is 用, not 雇, and it is not the reading being asked for.

• 雇やとう — to hire, to employ
• 伺うかがう — to humbly ask, to visit (humble)
• 敬うやまう — to respect, to honor
• 用もちいる — to use, to employ, to adopt

法律 is read ほうりつ, meaning 'law' or 'statute.' The sentence means 'Throwing garbage into the river is a violation of the law.'

• 1ほいつ is not a valid reading for 法律; it misreads 法 as ほい and 律 as つ.
• 2ほりつ is not a valid reading; it misreads 法 as ほり.
• 3ほういつ is not a valid reading; it misreads 律 as いつ instead of りつ.

• 法律ほうりつ — law, statute
• 違反いはん — viation, infraction

違反 is read いはん, meaning 'violation' or 'infraction.' The sentence means 'Throwing garbage into the river is a violation of the law.'

• 2いいはん inserts an extra い; the correct reading has no long vowel here.
• 3いぱん is the reading of 一般 (general), a lookalike with different meaning.
• 4いっぱん is also the reading of 一般 (general) with a geminated っ; wrong word and wrong reading.

• 違反いはん — violation, infraction
• 一般いっぱん — general, ordinary

両国 is read りょうこく, meaning 'both countries' or 'the two nations.' The sentence means 'It is reported that the leaders of both countries will hold talks in the near future.'

• 1ろうこく misreads 両 as ろう (wrong reading of 両).
• 2ろうくに misreads 両 as ろう and uses the kun-yomi くに for 国, which is not how this compound is read.
• 4りょうくに uses the correct on-yomi for 両 but the kun-yomi くに for 国; the compound uses on-on reading りょうこく.

• 両国りょうこく — both countries, the two nations

首脳 is read しゅのう, meaning 'leader(s)' or 'head(s) (of state/government).' The sentence means 'It is reported that the leaders of both countries will hold talks in the near future.'

• 2しゅうのう inserts an extra う; 首 is read しゅ, not しゅう.
• 3しゅしょう is the reading of 首相 (prime minister), a different word.
• 4しゅうしょう is an incorrect reading that also resembles 首相; 首 is not read しゅう.

• 首脳しゅのう — leader, head (of state/government)
• 首相しゅしょう — prime minister

会談 is read かいだん, meaning 'talks' or 'a (formal) meeting/conference.' The sentence means 'It is reported that the leaders of both countries will hold talks in the near future.'

• 1かいけん is the reading of 会見 (press conference / audience), a different word.
• 2かいげん is not a standard reading for this compound; it may evoke 開眼 or other unrelated words.
• 3かいたん is not a valid reading; 談 is read だん, not たん.

• 会談かいだん — talks, formal meeting/conference
• 会見かいけん — press conference, audience